Meet the Team

  • Aidan Drozdick

    Graduate Student

    Molecular Microbiology

    B.S. University of Iowa

  • Andrea Erickson, Ph.D.

    Research Scientist

    Ph.D. UT Southwestern

    B.S. UT Austin

  • Rashi Jindal

    Graduate Student

    Molecular Microbiology

    B.S. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

  • Alexandria (Alex) Lowe

    Graduate Student

    Immunology

    B.S. Howard University

  • Robert Maples

    Graduate Student

    Immunology

    B.S. University of Tulsa

  • Carolyn Sturge, Ph.D.

    Research Scientist/Lab Manager

    Ph.D. UT Southwestern

    B.S. Texas A&M

Meet the PI: Julie Pfeiffer

I received a B.A. in Microbiology from Miami University (1996) and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Michigan (with Alice Telesnitsky, 2001). To expand my interest in viral evolution, I was a postdoctoral fellow with Karla Kirkegaard at Stanford University from 2001-2005. I started my own lab as an Assistant Professor at UTSW in 2006 and am now a Professor. Along the way, I was a Pew Scholar, a BWF Investigator of the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease, and a HHMI Faculty Scholar . I have participated in several service activities including Chairing the 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Viruses and Cells, service on NIH Virology B Study Section (2015-2021), as a Senior Editor at the Journal of Virology (2016-2021), and as a member of the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science (2018-present). I became Chair of the Microbiology Department in spring of 2024.

Lab alumni

  • Valerie Rodriguez Irizarry, Ph.D. (graduate student), Postdoctoral Fellow at Washington University (Diamond Lab)

  • Joshua Baty, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow), Assistant Professor at University of Evansville

  • Melissa Budicini, Ph.D. (graduate student), Fellowship at Flagship Pioneering in Boston

  • Arielle Woznica, Ph.D. (postdoctoral HHMI Hanna Gray fellow), Assistant Professor at UT Austin

  • Matt Lanahan, Ph.D. (graduate student), Research Scientist at Iconovir

  • Mikal Woods Acevedo, Ph.D. (graduate student), Postdoctoral Fellow at U Pittsburgh (Dermody Lab)

  • Hua Lu, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow), Senior Scientist at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing

  • Broc McCune, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow), Associate Scientific Director at Moderna

  • Sam Erickson (summer research), Medical School

  • Y Nguyen, Ph.D. (research scientist), Research Scientist at the FDA

  • Elizabeth Aguilera, Ph.D. (graduate student), Programs Manager at SACNAS

  • Robert Africa (SURF student), Medical School

  • Palmy Jesudhasan, Ph.D. (research scientist), Research Scientist at the USDA

  • Katherine Mann, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow), Research Scientist at the FDA

  • Chris Robinson, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow), Associate Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine

  • Yao Wang, Ph.D. (graduate student), Physician’s Assistant, LA

  • Lauren Luethy, Ph.D. (graduate student), Scientist at the Pentagon

  • Karen Lancaster, Ph.D. (graduate student), Science Teacher, PA

  • Gavin Best, M.D. (technician), Residency

  • Sharon Kuss, Ph.D. (graduate student), Research Scientist/Instructor, UC Denver

  • Kristie Ibarra, Ph.D. (graduate student), Research Scientist, 23andMe

  • Christina Yang, M.D. (SURF student), Residency

  • Chris Etheredge (technician), Mission Work